Could you decide whether this console's soundchip uses samples or oscillators as the sound source.
"Sounds like a chiptune" doesn't mean much when you compare the Nes to the commodore 64.
The Nes has fixed-waves channels (pulse triangle and noise).
The Sid chip has a multi-mode filter, 4 lfos with many modulation destinations and can even do some wave-table-synthesis.
So yeah, a complete specs list would be great for those who want to do more than simply use pure square waves.
4 oscillators (1 per voice, triangle, square, sine, saw or noise) would be a great start imo since this is supposed to be a late console.
And in the case where some modulation would be allowed, Mod files wouldn't be possible, so would the audio file sized still be a problem? I don't think it should since if we were really developing for a console, there would most likely be no samples included in the rom (other than dirty sfx), but it's all up to you.
Originally Posted by Spitznagl 4 oscillators (1 per voice, triangle, square, sine, saw or noise) would be a great start imo since this is supposed to be a late console.
Thats pretty much is what I was going for. No channel is limited to any of those types of sound. Also a C64 square wav is pretty different to a Nes square wave so don't limit yourself to any one console.
Yeah no samples please.
I know saying 8-bit means little towards sound because you can put any sound chip inside an 8-bit machine. I just wanted to be clear that although we're all most likely going to use mods it has to sound classic 8-bit or chiptune or whatever the correct term is.
Ok, good. The thing is that I'll use hardware wave-table synths (One of them being a SidStation ). I won't have any problem to make it sound 8-bit, using one oscillator per voice, limiting myself to 4 modulation destinations and using no effects (delay, reverb, ...), but I need to know if the file size matters. The lowest I can go would be a max quality ogg, which is about 900kb for 1 minute I believe.
Could we only count SFXs(which some could be samples even if really using a sound chip) and the sequence files (midi, mod, or whatever your sequencer saves as) in the file size limit?
I have an Elektron Sidstation and other hardware synths that I would prefer to use over sampled waves in a tracker. I find pretty silly to limit myself to using samples just for the sake of keeping the filesize small . As I said, if those games where really created for an old console, only the sequences would be included, so why make the filesize more important than the authenticity? Sampling those synths and adding an envelope just wouldn't sound the same (especially in the case of the mos chip which never stops and is never completely silent) and it would make any kind of modulation (other than level and panning I guess) impossible.
If you insist on getting a bunch of dull sounding waveforms though, I'll go use a tracker.
I dunno if using Mods would make it sound dull. I guess we can make an exception for those that either just don't know how to use a tracker or would much rather prefer using something else.
But I don't think this is something that I alone can decide on, Old Man Clayton is the one handing out points and tags to the winner.
Originally Posted by AndyUK ok OMC should we limit the filesize to just the MFA for everyone?
Why not give us a max memory capability of the "cartridge", and we decide where to put in the most work? Just a thought, seeing as someone who doesn't have the means to make super awesome sound things can counter that with a killer engine or large world to explore?
Otherwise, using amazing hardware for music with no file size limit would be like using motion capture software for ultra realistic animations with hundreds and hundreds of frames stored externally - thus not counting towards filesize. Wouldn't that in some ways be unfair to those who can only afford 4 frames per animation to keep the file size down?
The idea I originally had was that the filesize limits are only guidelines because you can always increase the rom size of a cart, The only thing preventing a huge cart would be cost not some techinical problem. So going over 2mb doesn't break the rules so much as simply make the game cost more and that might hinder the sales.
In an ideal world everyone could make their own music in a mod tracker to keep the filesize down but I know that isn't the case.
I think we will need to organise a team to review the games, then using that we will work out using some sort of formula how much the game would cost and sell.
I'm just talking at the moment, what I really want now is for everyone to have fun making some nice games. Thats why i'm reluctant to say no to anything.
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). I won't have any problem to make it sound 8-bit, using one oscillator per voice, limiting myself to 4 modulation destinations and using no effects (delay, reverb, ...), but I need to know if the file size matters. The lowest I can go would be a max quality ogg, which is about 900kb for 1 minute I believe.
. As I said, if those games where really created for an old console, only the sequences would be included, so why make the filesize more important than the authenticity? Sampling those synths and adding an envelope just wouldn't sound the same (especially in the case of the mos chip which never stops and is never completely silent) and it would make any kind of modulation (other than level and panning I guess) impossible.
Edited by Spitznagl
